VUHL 05 supercar unveiled at Royal Automobile Club of London

AUTO NEWS

Mexican 'supercar' holds debut ahead of Goodwood appearance

by AutoIndustriya.com Team

July 07, 2013 02:09

Mexico-based VŪHL Automotive has lifted the covers off its 'secretive' lightweight VŪHL 05 sports car at the Royal Automobile Club of London ahead of the public reveal at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It was unveiled by founders Guillermo and Iker Echeverria and Alberto Chapa with distinguished guests like Sir Stirling Moss and FIA Chairman Tim Keown.

The 05 drew its inspiration from lightweight street-legal track cars like the BAC Mono, Ariel Atom and KTM X-Bow. It was designed in-house by ETXE, a firm formed by the Echeverria brothers.

The 695-kilogram car features a monocoque that weighs a mere 78kg. The chassis comprises a three-section bonded tub constructed from aluminum extrusions and aluminum honeycomb - aerospace technology that endows the 05 with a remarkably high level of torsional rigidity for optimum handling. Bolted direct to the passenger cell is a chrome-moly steel subframe housing the engine and rear suspension. A three-stage forward crash structure and double layer sidewalls provide a matchless level of protection for the occupants. The standard body is made from RTM reinforced plastic, but carbonfibre is an option. The aero features include a flat underbody, front and lateral splitters, rear diffuser and rear spoiler.

Powering the 05 is a mid-engine 2-liter Ford Ecoboost engine producing 289 PS and 420 Nm of torque, giving a power-to-weight ratio of 405 PS per ton. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. The 05 tops out at 245 km/h and is able to accelerate from 0-100 km/h at 3.7 seconds.

The race development experience of the founders has resulted in a suspension composed of unequal length double wishbones in the front and rear. Braking is provided by four-piston calipers with 310mm cross-drilled discs in front and 280mm discs at the rear. The 05 will roll on OZ alloy wheels wrapped with Michelin tires.